Hendrik Conscience Plein en Beeld, Antwerp

In front of the city library (Stadsbibliotheek) on the Hendrik Conscience Plein, there is a wonderful statue of Hendrik Conscience (1812-1883), the 19th century writer who taught his fellow countrymen to read. The market square, built by the catholic Jesuits in a poor quarter of the old city centre, is also named after this extremely important Flemish writer. The sole purpose of the flamboyant architecture of the square, was to impress the inhabitants and counter the growing influence of the Protestant Church which was gradually becoming more powerful at the time. This explains the decoration of the Jesuit buildings and the square itself.